Data is the underlying resource on which all computing processes are based. The volume of this data is ever increasing in various business applications, and each bit of data may be critical to business functions. In dealing with such data, many businesses arrange their personal computers (PCs) in a client/server network. The PCs and any associated programs typically function as the client in that it requests files or services. A server, which may be anything from another PC to a mainframe, handles the request from the client and supplies the requested data or service to the client. Such client/server networks may communicate with each other over an associated local area network (LAN).
To address the volume and importance of storing such data on client/server networks, storage area networks (SANs) have emerged to free up bandwidth on such LANs and to provide storage and related storage services to clients of one or more client systems such as backup and restoration functions. A SAN is a dedicated network separate from LANs and wide area networks (WANs) which interconnects storage devices to one or more servers and to a plurality of clients and/or client systems in a related network.
Storage devices are a place to keep and retrieve data on a long-term basis. Each storage device includes some storage medium which physically stores the data such magnetic tape, optical disks, hard disks, and floppy disks. Storage media can also be arranged in a variety of ways including a redundant array of independent or inexpensive disks (RAIDs) which typically function as one of the storage devices in a SAN.
SANs also often have high interconnect data rates (gigabits/second) between member storage devices and are highly scalable. SANs can be interconnected with similar elements as in LANs and WANs, e.g., routers, hubs, switches, and gateways. A SAN may be local or extend over geographic distances.
A storage management server or servers may also be utilized to control the storage devices and keep track of the data that the plurality of clients have stored on the plurality of storage devices coupled to a common SAN. The storage management server may also be utilized in data restoration efforts. Data restoration permits clients to copy a version of a backup file or files stored on any one of the plurality of storage devices.
However, such data restoration efforts typically require manual restoration and partitioning and do not permit a plurality of client systems to automatically participate in the same restore effort. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a system and method for optimizing data restoration in a SAN environment where multiple client systems may be involved in a single restore which allows for coordinated access to an associated storage pool of data.